Creative ThinkingCreative thinking, in terms of idea creativity, is not a mystical talent.It is a skill that can be practiced and nurtured.—Edward de BonoGrowing up with a Japanese father puts a fi re in your belly when it comesto getting a higher education. I knew I was university bound by the timeI was in third grade. According to my father, there was no other choicefor me. “Th ey can take everything else away from you, but they can’t takeaway your education!” Th ese words were etched in my brain. My mother,on the other hand, was a musician and an artist and was all about havingfun. So using both sides of my brain was something I developed quitenaturally.Early in my career, I was certifi ed to teach art and technology. I havewitnessed the changes in the American educational system from kindergartento graduate school through the past several decades. Th is chapteris a response to the growing concern that students at all levels are beingtaught to pass tests and are therefore becoming successful at memorizingfactual information and delivering packaged answers. Th is, in turn, leadsto recently hired young engineers and technologists who do not knowhow to think creatively to come up with ideas leading to innovative solutions.Th is is the number one concern I have heard from executives andsenior engineers and technologists. Today’s companies end up paying forthis in the long run.Contrary to popular belief, innovative ideas are not suddenly producedin a frenzy of creative activity. Th ere is a defi ned step-by-step processbefore an innovation goes to market: (1) problem defi nition (whichwe discussed in depth in the previous chapter), (2) ideation, (3) selectingthe best idea, (4) the architecture or building phase, (5) testing and revising,and (6) implementation. In this chapter, we are going to focus on the second phase: ideation, the generation of ideas. Once the problemhas been defi ned, one can use a variety of ways to think creatively to solvethat problem.Th is chapter covers basic diff erences between convergent and divergentthinking. It off ers warm-up brain exercises and successful techniquesof creative thinking such as: (1) brainstorming, (2) lateral thinking,(3) brainwriting, (4) metaphoric thinking, (5) SAMPER, (6) Synectics,and (7) TRIZ. When you apply any of these techniques to your creativethinking sessions, use them as guidelines to adjust as necessary.Th e reason this chapter is valuable for engineers and technologists isbecause in the fi elds of engineering and technology, one way of thinkingtends to dominate. Th e information in this chapter will teach engineersand technologists how to think like designers, inventors, or entrepreneurs.Convergent Versus Divergent ThinkingStudents of all ages need to learn how to think. If we want to producemore innovators in this world, we need to tap into both approaches tothinking. Using both sides of your brain is a way of integrating convergentand divergent thinking.In the fi elds of engineering and technology, convergent thinkingtends to dominate. Convergent thinking is logical and critical and is usedwhen we narrow down decisions. Th is type of thinking works well withselecting the best idea, after intense sessions of creative thinking havetaken place. Th e next chapter will discuss this narrowing-down process.Divergent thinking is what engineers and technologists need todevelop to be visionaries and innovators. Divergent thinking is the abilityto elaborate and to think of novel and diverse ideas. Ideation or idea generationis an example of divergent thinking.I believe the most important impact a university education has onpotential engineers and technologists is to teach them how to think creatively.Taking an original approach in solving problems usually bringsabout more questions than answers. “Why?” questions are great for inspiration.“But I’m not creative!” is not an excuse. Th e good news is thatcreative thinking can be developed and enhanced when it is threadedthroughout university disciplines. Idea engineering is about engineers and technologists using creative thinking to form a new worldview leading toinnovation.

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